United Way's five-year campaign more than halfway towards $6.25 million goal

The United Way Sault Ste. Marie & Algoma District has pulled in $3.3 million at the halfway mark of its five-year campaign, and is now more than halfway to its $6.25 million goal.

“Right now, we’re dead center in the middle of our five-year [campaign], so we just really wanted to tell everybody where we’re at - how much we’ve still got to go...we’re not there yet, but we’re making some good leeway,” said fundraising manager Rayna Evoy.

During a lunch hosted by the United Way in November, the organization acknowledged the fundraising efforts of businesses and organizations that recently wrapped up their respective fundraising campaigns for 2018, including:  

• Arauco - $10,000

• Brokerlink - $4,288

• John Howard Society - $2,519

• LCBO - $46,147

• OLG - $41,444

• Soo Mill - $19,599

It’s up to the businesses and organizations to come up with its own fundraising ideas, and Evoy points to efforts such as the point of sale donations made at LCBO outlets right across the Algoma District, generating more than $46,000 in 2018.

“I just feel grateful,” Evoy told SooToday. “I can’t believe the support of the community. It’s so great working with everybody...they come up with their own [fundraising] ideas, and some of them are great.”

“Our community is very supportive, and it’s wonderful to see how many people want to be there and support us and help us get to that goal.”

United Way Sault Ste. Marie & Algoma District is now in the process of honing in on three of the priority community issues - essential service, workforce entry and food security - as identified in the SSM Poverty Reduction Strategic Action Plan.